Sole-channeling machine



(No Model.) 4 sheets-snee: 1.

M. L. KEITH. som:v GHAN-NELING MACHINE..

Patented Mar. 17, 1891.

n sus ce., Wmo-mno., mamma n c (No Model.) 4 sheetssheet 2.

M. L. KEITH.

SOLE GHANNBLING MACHINE.

Patented Mar. 17, 1891.

79' F7 55 i, if

(No Modem' 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

M. L. KEITH.

SOLE GHANNELING MACHINE.

No. 448,436. Patented Mar; 17,1894.

(No Model.) 4 sheets-sheet 4. M. L. KEITH. SOLE GHANNBLING MACHINE.

No. 448,436. Patented Mar. 17, 1891.

. tally,

MYRON LEE KEITH, OF CAMPELLO, MASSACHUSETTS.

SOLE-CHANNELING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 448,436, dated March17, 1891. Application filed December 10, 1890. Serial No. 374,145. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MYRON LEE KEITH, of Campello, in the county ofPlymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Boot or Shoe Soie Channeling Machines, of whichthe following is a specification.

Thisinvention has for its object to provide improved means for cutting astitch-receiving channel in the bottom surface of the outer sole of awelted boot or shoe when said sole is in place on the boot or shoe andwhile the latter is on the last,the invention having for its chiefobject to enable the said channel to be cut in conformity to the outlineof the sole after the latter has been fitted, thus securing absoluteuniformity in the distance between the'channel and the trimmed edgeformed on the sole by the litting operation. By the term iittingoperation i I mean the operation of removing' the surplus material fromthe edge of the sole after the sole has been applied to the boot orshoe.

The invention consists as a whole ina channeling machine comprising` ajackholder adapted to support a last and a lasted boot or shoe thereonand to permit the revolution of said last about a center or axis and achanneling-tool mounted on a fixed support and movable thereon bothvertically and horizon the said tool having a gage adapted to bear onthe edge of the sole and determine the distance of the channel from saidedge, the channeling-tool being movable in all directions required toenable it to conform to the curvatures of the edges and bottom of asole, so that during the revolution of the last about the axis of thejack the tool will cut a channel extending entirely around the edge ofthe sole, the channeling operation being performed before the heel isattached.

The invention also consists in certain improvements relating to amachine organized as above indicated, all of which I will now proceed todescribe and claim.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specilication,Figure l represents a side elevation of a channeling-machine embodyingmy invention. Fig. :2 represents a perspective view of a portion oflsaid machine. Fig. 3 represents a section on line 3 3, F1g.1. Fig. -lrepresents an enlarged view of the channelingtool and a part of its movable carrier. Fig. 5 represents a View of another side of thechannelingtool, showing the operation of a channel-opening` devicethere` on. Fig. 6 represents an end elevation, and Fig. a top view, ofthe machine, showing the jack and lastin a position at right angles tothat shown in Fig. 1. Fig. G represents a 6o modification, and Figs. Sand'9represent perspective views of different forms of channeling-tools.

The saine letters and figures of reference indicate the same parts inall of the views.

In the drawings, d represents the jack which supports the last b duringthe operation of channeling the outer sole c of a boot or shoe on saidlast. The jack may be of any suitable construction, and is here shown ascom- 7o posed of a curved bar pivoted at i to ears CZ on a verticalshaft CZ, which is journaled in a bearing c, affixed to a base orsupport f. The jack is provided with a rest 3 to support the fore partof the last and with a spindle 5, mounted on an adjustable block orstandard 4 to enter the socket in the rear portion of the last. At oneend of the jack is a roller 7, arranged to run on a track or support g,and above said roller is a handle G, by which the 8o operator can movethe jack about the shaft or axis d. The track g is attached by arms g'to the base or support j', and is preferably raised at its ends aboveits central portion, as shown in Figs. l and 6, so that when the toeportion of the sole is being channeled the heel will be depressed, asshown in Fig. (i, for a purpose hereinafter explained.

t' represents the channeling-knife, which is affixed to a slide or shanki', adapted to move 9o horizontally in a socketed holder j. Said holderj is provi-led with a dovetail shank j', tted to move vertically in aguide in a slide 7c, which is movable horizontally in a directionatright angles to the movement of the shank t" on a dovetail guide-bar Z,said bar being supported by standards Z l', affixed to the base f. Thehorizontal movements of the shank t" in the holder j permit the knife toY move in and out to conform to the edge curvau mo turc of the sole c,while the vertical movements of the shankj in the slide 7c permit theknife to move up and down in conformity to the bottom curvature of thesole. The horizontal movements of the slide 7L'. upon the guide-bar Zenable the knife to more along the edge of the sole in the direction ofthe length thereof when the sole is in the positions indicated by fulland dotted lines in Fig. l. The shank 'i' is provided with a gage orrest m, which is adapted to bear on the edge of the sole, said gagebeing` behind the knife i and determining the distance from the edge ofthe sole of the cut made by said knife. 'lhe shank t" is pressed forwardto hold the gage m with a yielding pressure against the edge of the soleby means of a weight '12 which is connected by a cord n with the shankt', said cord passing through a chan nel iii the shank j and over apulley o, Fig. 3, in the holderj. The gage or rest m is pivoted at fm'to the shank t" and is engaged with the lower end of a push-pin p, whichpin extends upwardly through a hollow handle Q, affixed to the shank t',and is provided with a knob p and with an adjustable nut or stop 122above said handle. IVhen the pin p is depressed, it depresses and at thesame time swings back the gage fm, as shown in Fig. 4, thus increasingthe distance between said gage and the knife and permitting the knife tocut the channel farther from the edge of the sole. The gage is normallyheld in the raised position shown in Figs. 2, 3, and (3 by a spring r,Figs. 2 and 3, in the handle q. [t is desirable to make the channelfarther from the edge of the sole at the shank than at other portions ofthe sole, and the operator is enabled by depressing the pin p to causethe knife to move farther inward from the edge of the sole when theknife reaches the shank portion. The extent of the variation or iiiwarddeiiection of the channel is determined by the adjustable stop or nutp2, which limits the downward movement of the pin p by striking thehandle q, and is engaged with a screwthread on the pin, so that whenrotated on the pin it is raised or lowered, as the case maybe. The knifeis curved or beveled at its acting portion, so that it makes an undercutslot or channel in the sole, the channel being inclined inwardly fromthe edge of the sole, as shown in Fig. 4f, this form being known to shoemanufacturers as the English channel.

The form and construction of' the knife may be variously modified.

In Figs. 3, 1i, 5, and 6 I show a simple form of knife composed of avertical tang 2, attached to the outer end of the shank t" by a screw 3and provided at its lower end with a beveled cutting-edge 4.

In Fig. S I show an inclined cutting-edge et', which is a continuationof the tang 2, the latter being attached to a shank or holder in aninclined position. In this modification the back of the knife isprovided with a lip 5', which acts to open the channel by raising theflap formed by the cutting-edge.

In Fig. 9 the tang 2 is inclined, as in Fig. S, and the cutting-edge 4is in the same plane as the tang; but the channel-opening device katother portions.

is a lip formed on a separate piece 6', 'attached to the holder.

The knife shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5, and G has no channel-opening device,and when said knife is employed I make use of a channelopener t,attached to the under side of the shank t" and formed at one end toenter the channel and open the saine, as shown in Fig. 5.

In operating this machine I take a boot or Ashoe the outer sole of whichhas been temporarily secured to the upper by glue or c ement and hasbeen trimmed after its application to the boot or shoe, the form of thetrimmed edge being determined by the edge of the inner sole and theportion of the upper covering said edge, as described in anotherapplication for Letters Patent of the United States for improvement insole-edge-trimming machines tiled by me concurrently with thisapplication. Said boot or shoe being on the last, I secure it to thejack a in the manner shown, and then after moving the Jack and thechanneling-knife to the positions shown in full lines in Fig. l Ipresent the knife to the face of the sole and .commence cutting thechannel, the commencement being preferably at the rear portion of theshank. The knife is moved by the operator in the direction indicated bythe arrow in Fig. l until it reaches the side portion of the toe. Atthis point the jack is turned end for end on its axis, or, in otherwords, from the full-line to the dotted-line position shown in Fig. 1.During this swinging movement the knife remains nearly at rest, themovement of the sole being nearly sufficient to cause the knife to cutthe channel around the toe. 'Vhen the jack reaches the dottedlineposition, the progressive motion of the knife is continued until itreaches the rear portion of the shank at a point opposite the point ofbeginning. This completes the cutting of the channel, after which theknife is raised and moved forward until the channelopener enters thechannel, as shown in Fig. 5. The knife-supporting devices are then movedin the opposite direction until the channel-opener reaches the sideportion of the toe, when the operator swings the jack back to thefull-line position, the channel-opener passing through the toe portionof the channel during the swinging movement, and then moving back to thestarting-point of the knife through the remaining portion of thechannel. The inclination of the track g is such as that the heel portionof the sole is depressed when the channel is being cut in the toe, asshown in Fig. 6. rI`he object of this arrangement is to prevent theinclined knife from cutting too deeply or too nearly in a verticaldirection in making the toe portion of the channel, the depression ofthe heel compensating for the inclination of the toe portion of the faceof the sole, so that the channel has the same form at the vtoe as Myinvention is not lim- IOO IIO

f to bear on the edge of an outer sole, whereby ited,however, to thecentrally-depressed track, and said track may be made of any othersuitable form.

The several movements which the channeling-tool is permitted tomake-viz., the horizontal movements adapting it to the edge curves ofthe sole, the vertical movements adapting it to the bottom curves of thesole, and the progressive movements along the fixed guide-bar adaptingit to move along the edge of the sole-may be termed a compound movement.

So far as I am aware I am the iirst to mount a channeling-tool upon afixed guide or su pport, such as the bar Z, so that it has the describedcompound movement, and I do not, therefore, limit myself to thedescribed cornbination of devices which permit said movement, ity beingobvious that various other mechanical devices may be adopted to soconnect the channeling-knife with the fixed guide or support as that itcan move horizontally at right angles to said support as well asvertically While moving in the direction of the length of said support.

I find in practice that the improved jack herein shown and described maybe used in connection with a channeling-tool held and presented to thesole wholly bythe operators hand, the described mechanism for supportingthe channeling-tool being omitted. Hence I do not limit myself in allcases to the use of the knife supporting and guiding devices, although Iregard an organized machine including both t-he jack and the knifesupporting and guiding devices as preferable to the jack used with aloose channeling-tool held only by the operators hand.

In Fig. 6 I show the channeling-tool as it may be constructed to be heldonly by the operators hand.

I claiml. Achannelingknife or tool having a compound `rectilin earmovement, substantially as described, and provided with a rest or gagehaving a substantially flat outer end arranged the knife is adapted tomove progressively along a boot or shoe sole and to conform to the edgeand bottom curves thereof, combined With a swinging jack adapted tosupport a lasted boot or shoe in different positions for the action ofsaid tool upon the outer sole, as set forth. l

2. The combination of a fixed support or guide, a slide engaged withsaid guide and adapted thereby to move horizontally in a rectilineardirection, a tool-holder engaged with vertical guides on said slide andthereby l adapted to more vertically, a tool-carrying shank engaged withhorizontal guides arranged on said holder and extending in a directionat right angles to the movement of the slide, said shank being providedwith a channeling-knife, and a swinging jack adapted to support a lastedupper in different positions for the action of said tool upon the outersole, as set forth.

3. The combination of a iixed support or guide, a slide engaged withsaid guide and adapted thereby to move horizontally in a rectilineardirection, a tool-holder engaged with vertical guides on said slide andthereby adapted to move vertically, a tool-carrying shank engaged withhorizontal guides arranged on said holder and extending in a directionat right angles to the movement of the slide, said shank being providedwith a channeling-knife, a VerticalaXis or shaft journaled in a fixedbearing, a jack pivotedl to said shaft and adapted to swing horizontallyby the rotation of the shaft and vertically by its pivotal connectiontherewith, last-supporting devices on the jack, and a jack-supportingtrack depressed between its ends, whereby the heel portion of the lastis depressed when the jack is in position to present the toe portion ofan outer sole thereon to the channeling-tool, as set forth.

e. The combination of a fixed supportingguide, a knife-carrying shankhaving a oompound movement thereon, as described, and provided with achanneling-knife, a sole-edge rest or gage pivoted to said shank, apush-pin whereby the operator may depress and retract the said rest orgage, and aspring Whereby the rest is normally raised and held at itsforward position, as set forth.

5. The combination of a fixed supportingguide, a jack mounted to swingon a shaft or pivot beside said guide and midway between the endsthereof, said jack being adapted to stand beside the guide with eitherside toward the guide, a slide 7s, adapted to move lengthwise on theguide, and a knife-carrying shank having a compound movement on saidslide, whereby theknife is enabled while moving with the slide alongaboot or shoe sole to conform to the edge and bottom curves of saidsole, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses, this 29th day of November, A. D.1890.

MYRON LEE KEITH.

Vitnesses:

C. F. BROWN, A. D. HARRIsoN.

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